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Harmless gases will be released throughout subway stations and on the street for a third and final time Thursday as the NYPD and researchers study how chemical weapons could be dispersed through the air.
(Associated Press)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Harmless gases will be released throughout the city -- including on Staten Island -- for a third and final time Thursday as the NYPD concludes its study on how chemical weapons could be dispersed through the air.The Subway-Surface Air Flow Exchange study, which is being conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven Laboratory and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, will officially begin at 8 a.m., but people may notice researchers installing air-sampling equipment as early as 6 a.m.

For 30 minutes Thursday morning, low concentrations of a harmless perfluorocarbon gas will be dispersed at clearly marked locations in some subway stations and at street level. The gas mimics how a chemical, biological or radiological weapon might react if it was actually released in the air.

The study is expected to conclude by 3 p.m.The data that is being collected will be used to optimize an emergency response should a hazardous material ever be released -- intentionally or accidentally."The NYPD works for the best but plans for the worst when it comes to potentially catastrophic attacks such as ones employing radiological contaminants or weaponized anthrax," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said when the study was announced."This field study with Brookhaven's outstanding expertise will help us prepare and safeguard the city's population in the event of an actual attack."The study, which is the largest of its kind, is being funded through a $3.4 million Department of Homeland Security Transit Security Grant.